


True Beauty Lies Within Your Heart

by RinSexyMatsuoka



Series: ILYAL 'verse [3]
Category: Free!
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, High School, M/M, Pranks, the story of how Nagisa and Rei got together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-11
Updated: 2015-07-11
Packaged: 2018-04-08 19:37:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4317231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RinSexyMatsuoka/pseuds/RinSexyMatsuoka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Oh, he’s falling. He’s falling so, so hard, but he can’t bring himself to reach out and grab onto safety. He’s already long gone, and he’s not sure he wants to go back to where he was before</i>.</p><p>Nagisa meets an interesting guy with glasses, and vows to make him his friend (and chase after that booty, of course)</p>
            </blockquote>





	True Beauty Lies Within Your Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the first one shot! This story is a one shot in the ILYAL series, but you don't have to read that to understand the plot of this (though I totally recommend reading that if you're looking for fluff)  
> Without further ado, have some ReiGisa!

Nagisa can barely contain his excitement.

He runs with a giant grin plastered on his face, backpack slung over his shoulder as he weaves between students. They all stare, probably wondering why on earth he’s in such a rush, but Nagisa doesn’t care one bit. He’s about to make the next three years of his life amazing and filled with fun.

It’s April, and 15-year-old Nagisa Hazuki is about to start his first day of high school.

He slows down once he reaches the gates of the school, looking around in awe. There are students milling about, dressed in the same black uniform he is. There’s a cluster of girls, in their black skirts and high socks, chattering animatedly nearby, and Nagisa flashes them a peace sign as he walks by. Taller, older students carry conversations with their friends with ease, while some of the freshman are identified by their nervous expressions.

Nagisa passes by them all, no one really capturing his attention, and spins around in the middle of the courtyard to survey his surroundings.

“Another new chapter’s about to begin!” He yells to the sky, arms outstretched.

The students give him strange looks, but he only grins and dashes off up the stairs to the doors of the main building. He walks slowly through the halls, taking in the numbers of the classrooms. His first class of the day is on the first floor, so while he has some time, he might as well explore.

“‘Morning!” He says happily, slapping a random guy on the back.

The guy stares at him, bewildered while he rubs his back. Nagisa continues on his merry way, looking out for anyone with the potential of being an interesting friend. It’s only when he bumps into someone carrying a stack of folders that he stops, eyes wide.

“Ah, sorry!” He apologizes, bending down to help pick up the folders. “Guess I wasn’t really looking where I was going.”

“It’s alright,” the other says, a guy by the sound of his voice. “Just please be more careful next time.”

Nagisa looks up to hand the folders to the guy, freezing with his hand outstretched when he catches sight of midnight blue hair and striking purple eyes behind red-rimmed glasses.

“Thank you,” the gorgeous guy says, and Nagisa can’t get a single word out before glasses-cutie is rushing off, leaving Nagisa still kneeling on the ground.

A slow, devious smile spreads across Nagisa’s lips.

“Well _hello_ ,” he whispers to himself, staring at the corner glasses-cutie disappeared around. “Looks like I found a fine booty to hunt down/"

He has to hold off on his pursuit, though, because the first bell rings at that exact moment. So, with the promise of finding Mr. Tall, handsome, and bootylicious, Nagisa skips off to the first class of his high school career.

Japanese History is dull, and Nagisa spends most of the class staring out the window with his pencil twirling between his fingers. He wonders if the school has an astronomy club, and if not, if he can start one himself. The stars, space, it’s all so interesting to him; he needs to find other people as excited to study space as he is.

The day isn’t very interesting. His teachers are nice (except for Hinakawa-sensei. The guy’s a total ass, and frankly, Nagisa’s plotting his revenge, something to do with twenty pounds of jello and about five cats), and while some of the students introduce themselves to him, none of them are particularly _interesting_.

His Chemistry class is right after lunch, and Nagisa drags his feet, breathing out a sigh.

“But science is so boooring,” he mutters to himself, dramatically dropping into a chair and throwing his head back. He closes his eyes, just wishing something, _anything_ , would save him from the horror that is scientific terms.

“Alright everyone, settle down,” Aikawa-sensei says, his voice booming throughout the classroom. “Ryuugazaki-kun, please find a seat and sit down.”

“Y-yes, of course.”

Nagisa’s ears pick up something familiar in that voice, and then he hears the chair next to him being pulled out. When he opens his eyes and looks to his left, he’s met with the sight of that bootylicious glasses-cutie from earlier, who seems completely focused on what Aikawa-sensei is saying.

“Hey, you’re the guy from earlier!” Nagisa practically shouts, excitement bubbling up in him again.

Glasses-cutie - or Ryuugazaki - looks over at him in shock, recognition flashing across his features.

“Hazuki, is it?” Sensei says, while the entire class stares at Nagisa. Nagisa doesn’t even know the meaning of embarrassment, and so he continues to grin at Ryuugazaki. “Stop yelling and let me talk. I’ve got some rules to set down before we begin.”

Nagisa honestly could not care any less about rules, and so he lowers his voice as Sensei starts to speak. “You know what this is?” He asks Ryuugazaki, who seems to be intently ignoring him. “It’s fate. We’re destined to be best friends, I know it.”

“Please pay attention, Hazuki-kun,” Ryuugazaki says cooly.

Oh, so he’s that type, is he? Nagisa can totally dig the cool, stoic glasses type. He heeds Ryuugazaki’s words for the time being, if only to avoid being thrown out of the class before he gets to know his classmate.

“Alright everyone,” Aikawa-sensei announces. “We’re going to start of with a little ‘get-to-know-you’ project. The person sitting at your table with you will be your lab partner for the rest of the term, so take this time to find out if you’ll get along or end up killing each other before the year’s over. I’m passing out worksheets to fill out.”

And _oh_ , Nagisa can _totally_ dig that. Being paired up with Ryuugazaki for the rest of the term? Sign him the fuck up.

He’s practically bouncing in his seat when a worksheet is passed to him. Ryuugazaki looks a little uncomfortable, but he offers a weak smile all the same.

“We might as well begin,” he says, glancing down at the sheet. “Let’s start with name, shall we?”

“Nagisa Hazuki!” Nagisa says with force. “But you can call me Nagisa!”

“Er, Nagisa-kun. It’s a pleasure to meet you, my name’s Rei Ryuugazaki.”

He even has a cute _name_. Nagisa barely stops the squeal that’s on the tip of his tongue, scribbling down the name.

“Looks like we’ve both got girly names, Rei-chan! Like I said, destiny!”

Rei sputters, cheeks tinting the faintest shade of pink. “Ch-chan?!”

“Ahhh, you’re so cute!” Nagisa feels like his dull day was completely worth it, if he gets to talk to Rei now.

“N-next question,” Rei stutters, blush darkening. “What are your hobbies?”

“Hmm.” Nagisa has to think about that one for a second. “I like playing pranks on my sisters and rigging peoples’ lockers so they squirt out water!”

He wonders if he’s scaring Rei a bit too much. Rei looks speechless and bewildered, eyes wide behind his glasses.

“Okay… I myself enjoy reading and studying theory.”

Of course he does. Nagisa writes it down and they go on to the next part, talking about their likes, dislikes, if they have any siblings. The whole time, Nagisa rethinks his first impression of Rei. Cool and stoic? No.

Rei is actually a complete and total dork.

He has an obsession with butterflies, and he nearly dies when he sees anything remotely _beautifu_ l. He loves reading sci-fi novels and he’s surprisingly dramatic, clutching a hand over his heart when his pencil breaks.

“So tell me, Rei-chan,” Nagisa says when they’ve reached the last question. “What’s your dream career?”

Rei smirks and pushes up his glasses, and Nagisa swears he sees them flash.

“To be a scientist! Which is why I’ll be majoring in Chemistry when I go to college. Mixing formulas, discovering new facts, it’s all so beautiful!”

Nagisa chuckles. Well, at least he won’t fail the class with Rei as his partner.

“I like your style, Rei-chan. You seem like you’ve got your whole life planned out.”

Class with Rei is fun; he’s overly serious about the subject, but sometimes says ridiculous things that make Nagisa clutch his side from laughing so hard. As it turns out, Nagisa also has another class with Rei, so he chatters away by his side as they walk through the halls.

Nagisa really does think it’s destiny. And even if it’s not, he’s found a cool new friend to tease for the next three years.

...o0o...

It’s a month later that Nagisa first coerces Rei into playing a prank with him.

“Nagisa-kun, this is a _very_ bad idea,” Rei nervously says for the hundredth time that afternoon.

Nagisa only winks in response, pressing a finger to his lips in a shushing motion.

“Just trust me, Rei-chan. Nothing can go wrong.”

They’re in a grassy area near the tennis courts, tucked away behind one of the trees dotting the field. Nagisa feels the thrum of energy in his veins, checking the time once again before locking his eyes on the small clearing between the trees.

“I just don’t think revenge is really the way to go,” Rei mentions, crouching down next to Nagisa. “You really don’t have to defend my honor like this.”

Nagisa shoots him a look, eyes filled with determination. “Oh, but I do. Taki-chan knocked your books down and called you a nerd! There’s no way I’m gonna let that slide!” His smirks then, clenching his hands and looking at Rei with pride. “With my awesome plotting skills and your smarts with theory, this is gonna be the best payback ever!”

Rei smiles then, glasses glinting.

“I’ll admit, it _is_ an ingenious plan.” He eyes the clearing between the trees, where Nagisa can barely make out the wires pulled tight near the ground, the sunlight glinting off them. “All he has to do is step into the clearing, and his foot will trigger the wire. And if he somehow manages to step over the wire, I know that my target will be standing 45 degrees behind me. If I move just 40 centimeters before jumping out, his left leg should activate the trap!”

Nagisa nods frantically, giving him a thumbs up. “Perfect! You’re really cool, Rei-chan!” Rei smirks, looking proud of himself. “Now, all we have to do is wait for Taki-chan to come here, expecting Izumi-san to be waiting for him, and then _bam!_ He won’t know what hit him!”

“You’re incredibly devious, Nagisa-kun. Sliding a note into his locker and signing it with Izumi-san’s name, I didn’t know you’d go to such lengths.”

“Like I said, no one messes with my Rei-chan!”

Nagisa catches Rei blushing at that, but he has no time to tease, a rustling noise cutting through the silence. They watch the entrance to the clearing with bated breath, and Nagisa can’t help but inwardly jump with victory when he sees Taki coming closer.

Taki, a tall, muscled third year with a shaved head and crooked nose, looks around as he inches closer to the wire.

“Izumi-san?” He calls. “So you decided you wanted to date me after all? How risque of you, wanting to meet up here of all places. I always knew you were a dirty -”

He’s cut off, tripping over the wire Rei had set. He barely manages to catch himself and stay upright before he’s assaulted.

The water guns that were triggered by the wire go off all at once, shooting out various questionable substances (Nagisa grins devilishly; only he knows what the liquids are, and he’s not about to tell.) Nagisa watches, holding back laughter, while Taki is drenched head to toe, sputtering as his black uniform clings to his body.

“What the hell is this?!” He yells, and then his nose scrunches up when he catches a whiff of the soaked clothing. “Ewww, what the fuck is this shit?! It smells disgusting!”

As Taki rants to himself about the odor, Nagisa has to physically slap a hand over his mouth to keep himself quiet. Beside him, Rei is biting his lip, but Nagisa can see the grin threatening to break through.

“Whoever did this is gonna get hell!” Taki shouts, aggressively scanning the clearing for any sign of movement; Rei and Nagisa duck further behind the tree, exchanging amused looks. “Just what the hell _is_ this?” Taki mutters once more, then turns and heads back to the school, grumbling all the while.

Nagisa waits for another minute before bursting out into laughter.

“His face! Did you see his face?!” He exclaims, tears of mirth prickling at his eyes.

“He was definitely not pleased,” Rei says, but he’s laughing too.

Wiping his eyes, Nagisa tackles Rei to the ground, giggling at their success.

“We did it! We really did it! That was priceless!” They roll around, Rei protesting in between laughs, coming to a stop with Rei flat on his back on the grass with Nagisa above him. As their laughter subsides, Nagisa stares down at Rei, grinning madly. “We make a pretty good team, huh, Rei-chan?”

Rei’s smile turns fond, eyes soft as they lock onto Nagisa’s, and Nagisa thinks he feels a hand hovering over his hip.

“I think you’re right, Nagisa-kun We do make an outstanding team.”

...o0o...

He feels like he’s floating, yet at the same time, being with Rei keeps him grounded. He watches silently as Rei measures the amount of solution they’re supposed to put into the beaker, brows furrowed in concentration. There’s no hint of a smile on Nagisa’s lips, his usually bubbly personality subdued as his gaze roams over Rei’s features.

It’s September in Nagisa’s first year of high school, and he can barely take his eyes off of Rei.

“Okay, I think this is how it’s supposed to look,” Rei announces, jolting Nagisa out of his reverie. “Actually, I’m positive. We’re almost there!”

When Rei looks over, Nagisa smiles, leaning on the table to get a closer look at the beaker.

“Whoooaaa, you always surprise me!” Nagisa says, flashing a grin. “You’re super smart, Rei-chan!”

Rei adjusts his glasses, and Nagisa knows it's only to hide the look of pride.

“It’s quite simple, actually. You just have to be sure to get the measurements correct.”

“You’re way better at that stuff than I am. I probably would have blown the place up by now if it wasn’t for you!”

Rei chuckles, clapping Nagisa on the shoulder.

“I don’t doubt that, Nagisa-kun.”

They finish their lab project with relative ease, all thanks to Rei. Nagisa finds himself distracted more than once, unable to focus on anything other than the sharp jawline of Rei’s face, the way those lips move as they form words, spoken in the sweetest voice Nagisa’s ever heard.

_He doesn’t know how to stop his heart from pounding wildly in his chest. He’s not sure if he even wants to._

“There’s the bell,” Rei says, standing to pack his things away.

Nagisa jumps up from his seat, shoving his book and pencil into his bag.

“Come on, Rei-chan. We’ve only go one more class!”

Rei gives him a soft smile, trailing closely behind him. “Slow down! The class isn’t going anywhere!”

_The butterflies are going wild in his stomach, fluttering and multiplying with every step._

Their last class of the day is spent with Nagisa sneakily throwing balled up notes at Rei’s head. Rei pretends to act mad, mouthing how they need to pay attention, but Nagisa knows better. He always gets a note thrown back to him when the teacher’s not looking.

_He feels short of breath, slouching down lower in his seat as he clutches the hem of his sleeve._

“Let’s go to the park,” Nagisa suggests as they leave their final class. They’ve got nothing better to do anyway, and if left up to Rei, they’ll be spending the rest of the afternoon studying.

“It _is_ a beautiful day out,” Rei concedes, eyes trained on the clear blue sky. “We might as well enjoy it.”

With that settled, Nagisa rambles on about a constellation he read about in one of his astrology books, and Rei listens closely. He always listens like everything Nagisa has to say is the most interesting thing he’s ever heard, and sometimes, Nagisa’s not sure how to deal with that.

He’s so energetic, people usually brush him off or get annoyed.

 _He’s_ _not sure what to do; his heart aches, but it’s not a bad feeling. It’s the sweetest pain he’s ever felt._

When they reach the park, Nagisa drops off his bag and heads straight to the swings. plopping down on one. As he starts to swing, the wind ruffling his blond hair, Rei grabs Nagisa’s bag and keeps it by his side. He goes to stand at the pole of the swings, just three feet away from Nagisa, leaning against the pole and looking up at the infinite expanse of blue.

“Autumn really is a beautiful season, isn’t it?” Rei asks.

Nagisa continues to swing, enjoying the rush, but looks over to Rei.

“It’s really pretty, huh? I like Winter more, though. Snow’s fun to play around in, and the white looks cool.”

Rei smiles, nodding. “All the seasons are beautiful in their own unique way. Winter has snow, littering the ground and rooftops in its icy white blanket. Spring is filled with blooming flowers and chirping songbirds, the buzzing of bees and laughter of children starting school. In the Summer, the sun shines bright and strong, not a cloud in sight and the ocean ready for exploring. And Autumn brings with it the changing of leaves, their bright colors a magnificent sight as they reflect the rays if the sun. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? The way the world works, how there’s so much natural beauty in the world. It leaves me speechless, sometimes.”

Nagisa’s movements slow, eventually coming to a stop. Rei is still staring at the sky with a soft smile, back leaning against the pole.

For someone who talks about beauty all the time, he doesn’t really know what it is. Nagisa knows true beauty, and it has deep blue hair and shimmering amethyst eyes, full of life and ambition. The true definition of beauty itself.

“Hey, Rei-chan…” Nagisa says softly. He stares down at his shoes, his bangs covering his eyes as his hands clutch the chains of the swing.

_His knees feel weak, and he's glad he’s sitting down, or otherwise he would have collapsed._

“Hmm? What is it?”

Nagisa is silent for a moment, able to feel Rei’s gaze on him but unwilling to raise his head.

“We’re friends, right?” He asks, voice uncharacteristically soft.

“Of course,” Rei says, and Nagisa can hear the confusion in his voice. “I thought that was a given.”

His palms are sweaty. his hands trembling where they clutch the chains.

“And do you think… Do you think that beauty can be a feeling? That maybe it feels warm, like it’s exciting but scary at the same time. It makes you want to jump in head first, the consequences be damned. Like it squeezes at your heart, but it doesn’t make you wanna hide. It makes you want to embrace whatever’s giving you that feeling, hold it close and never let go. Don’t you think that feeling’s beautiful?”

_Oh, he’s falling. He’s falling so, so hard, but he can’t bring himself to reach out and grab onto safety. He’s already long gone, and he’s not sure he wants to go back to where he was before._

“I-I think beauty’s in everything,” Rei says. “N-Nagisa-kun?”

“But I think beauty can be a person, too,” Nagisa continues, getting to his feet. His eyes are trained on the sand beneath his feet, hands clenched into fists. “When someone sticks around no matter what, when they stay with you despite how you might be. I think beauty is when a person gives you a chance, and doesn’t brush you off like you’re annoying. Beauty… Beauty’s when they agree to your stupid ideas and smile even though you get them in trouble. Don’t you think so?”

_He feels like he’s about to burst. His heart is overflowing, his shoulders hunched as he tries to calm his racing heart. But it’s no use; he feels like he’ll fall to his knees any second._

“Nagisa-kun…” Rei’s voice is barely above a whisper, and Nagisa finds himself moving. In an instant, he’s standing in front of Rei, looking up at him with an earnest expression.

Rei looks awed and shocked, and Nagisa feels his heart skip a beat.

“The seasons, nature,” Nagisa says, eyes locked on Rei, “how blue the sky is or what color the leaves are… none of that compares to you, Rei-chan.”

_He feels like crying. If only others could see how beautiful the boy standing before him is, they’d know why his heart aches so sweetly._

“Nothing else compares to you. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Rei is staring at him with wide eyes, looking as if he’s barely breathing. Nagisa smiles, soft and sweet, taking a step closer until they’re standing toe to toe.

“I really like you, Rei-chan,” Nagisa confesses softly. “I really, _really_ like you.”

_Like. What an inappropriate word. What he feels doesn’t even come close to like. Simple like doesn’t make the butterflies go wild, it doesn’t make your knees weak. Like just simply doesn’t cut it._

“Nagisa-kun…” Rei says. His cheeks are rosy, but he doesn’t move his hand up to hide his face. He averts his eyes for a second, before hesitantly reaching out to hook his pinky with Nagisa’s index finger. “I’ll admit… I really like you too. You’re quite beautiful yourself, Nagisa-kun.”

Nagisa slowly breaks out into a grin, laughing breathlessly. He moves his hand so that he can lace his fingers with Rei's, clutching onto his hand tightly.

“You think so?” He asks in a whisper, free hand reaching up to grip at Rei’s tie. Rei blushes, nodding as he swallows. “I’m glad. I really do want to be beautiful for you.”

Gently, he tugs Rei down by the tie, standing on his tiptoes and meeting his lips halfway.

There is no spark, no rush of emotion or the need to hold each other closer, to delve deeper. Instead, Nagisa is overcome by warmth, building in his core and spreading to every fiber of his being. It’s like coming home after spending months away, the contentedness of wrapping yourself in a blanket on a cold winter day in front of the fire.

It feels right, safe, and as Rei gently places his palm on his hip, Nagisa knows that _this_ is beautiful.

And as he kisses Rei with all the love he feels in that moment, Nagisa thinks that he might like the spend a very long time with this boy.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I'll be back in a few weeks time with another one shot! (tumblr: sharkbait-rin)


End file.
